Nopoló

Note: This page was added in 2010. We no longer live in Loreto, so some details may no longer be accurate.

The beach where we live is named for the big rock at its south end, Punta Nopoló, where the Sierra La Giganta mountains get their toes wet south of Loreto. The hotel near the point, formerly the Inn at Loreto Bay, is now the Loreto Baja Golf Resort and Spa.

This beach is the center of our kayaking world, and not just because it is close. The area offers a number of other features that make life at the water fun and easy.

For many, a paddling trip will start and end at the little shack just north of the hotel, an outpost of Arturo’s Sport Fishing. It’s closed on Mondays, and often on other days that don’t look promising for boating, but otherwise, from ten in the morning till three in the afternoon, you can rent a sit-on-top kayak for ten bucks an hour or its equivalent in pesos. Head toward the point and, on a calm day, marine life is as visible as it would be to a diver. Paddling around the point to the lagoon and the estuary beyond is often within the reach of beginners. These boats kept us happy for a long time, as we discovered that we could take them south to the Vista al Mar for lunch or north toward Loreto. Even now that we have our own equipment we still rely on Jorge for information, good cheer, and the occasional drink or snack.

Kayak storage is another function here. Racks that were provided by Loreto Bay still exist, but the hotel has recently moved them a good distance from the shore.. Arturo’s mostly stores their own equipment, but it may be possible to make short-term arrangements. Occasionally, people just lock their boats to a palapa.

Another reason to visit is the hotel nearby. I think it would be possible to paddle some distance up and down the coast without ever having to set up camp, and the hotel would be one of the easiest and nicest places to stay. And even if it’s only a lunch stop, there’s no place more convenient than the pool bar, which integrates the two great ideas of swimming and drinking, for those who have difficulty choosing. Note however that the building has been painted since this picture was taken, and is now yellow.

There is again a little general store across the street from the hotel but further north; provisions are also available at El Portón, at the other end of the development. There are now several cafés in between.

An update: Sports equipment is now also available from the hotel’s activity center, and a catamaran is sometimes visible there.